Police identify man burned in Costa Mesa salon argument

Costa Mesa police officers investigate incident, where man set himself on fire, Sunday, March 24, 2013 aat the Creative Nails & Spa, 3033 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa. The man was given aid by Costa Mesa Fire Department paramedics and transported to a local trauma center.RICHARD KOEHLER, FOR THE REGISTER

COSTA MESA – Police have identified a Westminster man who apparently set himself on fire in a Costa Mesa nail salon after an argument with his estranged wife.

Nam Q. Thieu, 46, remained in critical condition at Western Medical Center on Tuesday with third-degree burns over 70 percent of his body, two days after witnesses say he poured a flammable liquid onto himself and ignited it with a cigarette lighter, a police statement said.

Officers shortly after noon Sunday responded to what authorities characterized as a domestic dispute at Creative Nails & Spa in the 3000 block of Bristol Street.

An employee had extinguished Thieu's burning body with a fire extinguisher, police said.

Sherry Skipper-Spurgeon, a longtime customer of the salon, reported witnessing the encounter between Thieu and his estranged wife, whom she knew only as Lena.

Thieu came into the salon and confronted Lena, the store's manager, screaming at her in Vietnamese, Skipper-Spurgeon said. He reportedly brought a bucket filled with a liquid that Skipper-Spurgeon described as smelling like gasoline and poured it over the top of his head.

Lena told employees and customers to leave the salon as she tried to reason with Thieu, saying the two of them were going through a divorce and that he was "really distraught," Skipper-Spurgeon said.

As Skipper-Spurgeon was calling 911, she reported seeing Thieu sit down on the floor in a puddle of the liquid.

As she was talking to the fire department, Thieu set himself on fire, Skipper-Spurgeon said, causing flames to cover his head until Lena's brother, who was at the shop to repair malfunctioning equipment, doused him with the extinguisher and other employees brought in towels to douse the flames.

Orange County Superior Court records show that on Nov. 30, a woman named Lena Nguyen sought a restraining order against a man named Nam Q. Thieu. Court records indicate that the restraining order was issued and that Thieu was also ordered to attend anger-management classes.

Court records also show that on Feb. 1, a Lena Nguyen petitioned for a separation from a Nam Q. Thieu. A summons was issued in the case, but there was no indication in court records that any hearings have taken place.

Costa Mesa police officers investigate incident, where man set himself on fire, Sunday, March 24, 2013 aat the Creative Nails & Spa, 3033 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa. The man was given aid by Costa Mesa Fire Department paramedics and transported to a local trauma center. RICHARD KOEHLER, FOR THE REGISTER
Costa Mesa police officers and Costa Mesa Fire Department personnel investigate an incident where a man set himself on fire, Sunday, March 24, 2013 at the Creative Nails & Spa, 3033 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa. The man was given aid by Costa Mesa Fire Department paramedics and transported to a local trauma center. RICHARD KOEHLER, FOR THE REGISTER
Costa Mesa police officers investigate incident, where man set himself on fire, Sunday, March 24, 2013 aat the Creative Nails & Spa, 3033 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa. The man was given aid by Costa Mesa Fire Department paramedics and transported to a local trauma center. The man arrived in the truck the officers are checking. RICHARD KOEHLER, FOR THE REGISTER

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